Genesis 2:18-24.

Gloria Steinem, the well-known feminist activist and publisher of Ms. Magazine, made a statement a few years ago that has been quoted more than a few times by those sharing her anti-man sentiments. She said: "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." She has also referred to marriage as "legalized oppression." Her attitude throughout her career has been, basically, "men-who needs them?"

Well, apparently Ms. Steinem has decided that men aren't so bad after all; in fact, she found one she plans to keep for awhile. In September 2000 the founder of Ms. Magazine officially became a Mrs. - Gloria Steinem got married.

This doesn't surprise me, because the Bible teaches that we are made in such a way to desire that kind of companionship. In fact, after God had created Adam, the first man, he said...

(v. 18) It is not good for the man to be alone.

We were made to be together, to have someone to share our lives with, to love, to grow old with. For most people, that's God's plan-not to spend your life alone, but with a mate.

Now, I said "for most people." If you're single, let me quickly interject a couple of things. First, being single doesn't mean you're missing out on God's will for your life. Even though chances are you will eventually meet someone you want to share the rest of your life, if it doesn't happen, it's because God has something better planned for you, not something less. Also, if you're single, I want to emphasize that you don't need to be in a rush to get married. You're right where God wants you to be right now. And, frankly, you're right where a lot of married people wish they could be, too. Every minister and marriage counselor has heard the following statement more times than they can count:
"If only we had waited a little while longer...if only we hadn't been in such a rush to get married."

So, if you're single, take your time. Today's message will help you prepare for the day when you decide to take that step. If you're already married, today's message will help you treat your spouse in such a way that it will strengthen your marriage.

Now, how many people does it take to make a great marriage? Two, obviously. Some of you may be in a situation right now in which the person you're married to is not interested in making the partnership a great one. Frankly, there's nothing you can do about that. You can't change your spouse. [It's been said that a woman marries a man hoping he'll change, a man marries a woman hoping she won't, and both are wrong. You can't change your spouse, but you can change the way you treat your spouse. And even though it takes two people to make a great marriage, it only takes one person to make a marriage better. And, if you treat your spouse to a better marriage, chances are your uncooperative spouse will wake up and become more cooperative. Today we'll look at three ways you can treat your spouse to a better marriage. They're found in the second chapter of Genesis.

You're probably familiar with the story. There's an old, old joke about how it took place. God created man, took a long look at him and said, "I think I can do better" and then created woman. That's not exactly how it happened, but the way it did happen teaches us the first principle in how we should treat our spouse. First of all...